Tottenham Hotspur are 'advancing' in negotiations to sign defender Clement Lenglet on a permanent deal, according to reports.
What's the latest Spurs transfer news?
Despite still being without a manager since Antonio Conte's departure last month, with interim boss Cristian Stellini taking charge in the meantime, there have been some transfer rumours circulating in the press. Indeed, perhaps the most notable name to have been linked with a move to north London is Leicester City star James Maddison.
Reports in the last fortnight have claimed that Spurs are firmly in the race to sign Maddison alongside Newcastle, with the Lilywhites even holding an edge and being in pole position as things stand – at least according to Football Insider.
Another position thought to be high on Tottenham's agenda to strengthen is centre-back with the likes of Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) among those to have been tipped with a possible N17 move. This is despite the apparent wish of Spurs to tie down defender Eric Dier with a new deal.
Now, as per a report by Spanish news outlet Sport, it appears chairman Daniel Levy is aiming to complete another in-house deal as his side wish to take Lenglet on a permanent deal.
According to the outlet, Spurs are 'already advancing in the negotiations' to sign the Frenchman permanently – even despite not inserting any obligation or option to buy in the loan deal. The total sum of this transfer could amount to around €14 million (£12m).
Barcelona apparently have a good amount of this deal 'amortized' and are 'about to sell' Lenglet – with the report stating in it's headline that the player is 'trapped' at Tottenham.
Should Spurs sign Lenglet permanently?
The 27-year-old's time at Spurs has been a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, he ranks among their best-performers in terms of tackles made per 90 and clearances in the Premier League – all whilst completing 87.3% of his passes out from the back (WhoScored).
He's also been praised as a defender with 'quality' by members of the press, yet some sub-par showings have equally resulted in pundits like Jamie O'Hara calling him an 'imposter'.
This news that Barca are willing to offload him for £12m is perhaps an indicator of how much the La Liga side want him off their books, and it remains to be seen whether Lenglet can truly discover his very best form in England.